The Las Vegas Raiders are set to begin a new era at Allegiant Stadium with their upcoming relocation prior to the start of the 2020 NFL season.
With all the looming events set to take place, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has gotten plenty of insight on the state of affairs in the league’s newest city. Of course, the Raiders have managed to oblige with the construction of their new home as well as providing a sneak peek at some of its planned features.
There was plenty of speculation regarding how well this team would be able to transition since it had so much history embedded into Oakland. Fortunately, it seems all sides from fans to ownership, and even the league front office are pleased with how the move is panning out.
According to Arash Markazi of the L.A. Times, Goodell offered up some praise for team owner Mark Davis’ decision to move the Raiders to the desert:
“What I see now is a city that has emerged from the Strip and primarily a casino-driven town to a city that’s really quite remarkable,” Goodell said. “I think we’ll all be grateful that Mark Davis made the decision to come here.”
Goodell was also admittedly impressed with how Allegiant Stadium is looking:
“It screams Las Vegas Raiders,” Goodell said of the stadium. “It’s silver and black, and it’s in such a great setting off of the Strip. It’s the Raiders’ true home now. It makes that statement just by looking at it.”
It is safe to say that there are many that would agree with Goodell’s assessment. His comments indicate that many of the factors that once plagued the prospect of a professional football team in Las Vegas have now been openly embraced by the league.
The NFL has helped to set the stage for the Raiders’ relocation with this year’s draft helping to bring football to Las Vegas. It certainly helped that the Raiders will have two first-round picks to work with to potentially make a splash to their roster.
Although Davis has done all the right things to help smoothen the transition, the onus will ultimately fall on head coach Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock to put together a team that can live up to the high standards they have now set. Regardless, having one of the most passionate fan bases in football will undoubtedly pay huge dividends for the Raiders and the NFL as a whole as they embark on their new journey.
